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Kewaunee County declares public health emergency during coronavirus outbreak

KEWAUNEE - With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing steadily across the state, Kewaunee's County Board declared a public health emergency effective immediately at its regularly scheduled Tuesday night meeting.

The board passed a resolution declaring the emergency 15-0 with five supervisors absent.

The emergency gives the board chairman — currently Robert Weidner, who is not seeking re-election in the April 7 election — and County Administrator Scott Feldt "... the general authority to order, subject to ratification if practicable, whatever is necessary and expedient for the health, safety, protection, and welfare of persons and property within Kewaunee County in the emergency."

Feldt said that means he and the board chairman can make decisions without getting approval from a county committee or the board regarding county operations related to the pandemic and resulting restrictions on groups of people getting together mandated by the state. He said it doesn't extend to decisions on what otherwise would be standard county business.

"It could be a variety of different things," Feldt said. "You could be dealing with any type of employee pay issues (if county services close or limit hours), closure of offices."

Any measures that deal more directly with public health would be made in consultation with county Public Health Department Director Cindy Kinnard, Feldt said.

Feldt said there are no specific plans to enact such measures as of Wednesday morning. He noted any emergency decisions must be enacted in writing and published.

Kewaunee County had no confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday morning. Kinnard said at the board meeting that "numerous" tests had been conducted on residents, although 10 or 12 test results are pending.